need help on purchase

[beepanddig]

Hi,

I am getting back into the hobby after a few years break. I was considering a CTX 3030 but after checking multiple forums / reviews / you tube etc... I feel more confused on what to purchase.

I will be hunting mainly coins / jewlery and some water hunting with a hookah on fresh water lakes.

Would it be better to get a good water detector and a good land detector? I was thinking the blisstool or vaquero and a sand or tiger shark.

I don't need all the bells and whistles or even the ID display. I really want a good detector that can go deep and has good discrimination.

I know a detector is only as good as the operator, I have the patience to learn a detector and it's capabilitys.

 

[Armistead]

You could get the AT Pro and have both. I will say I have used a friends Vaquero and the depth it gave for the cost was amazing. I debated the Pro, Vaq and F5, but finally got the F5, as I can use my friends Vaq when I want. I hope the F5 is good as the Pro, minus the water function. Bart gave me a great deal.

 

[Cherry Picker]

Welcome!

I've heard that the detectors with displays can go almost as deep as the ones with no display and just about as good discrimination

 

[beepanddig]

Thanks for the replies.

I don't feel I need a display to tell me how deep or what it might be, I want a detector that has great depth and good discrimination. I want to learn the tones and decide to dig or not.

I was about to buy the CTX 3030 but now I am leaning towards the blisstool or vaquero. The Tejon says its a relic detector but it looks good for coins as well.

Anybody here use the blisstool ? How has it performed?

I do like the idea Tesoros are made in the USA and the warranty is awesome. Can the Tesoros get the same or better depth as the top of the line Whites / Minelab / Garretts?

 

[Terry Soloman]

Well any WATER hunting with the Vaquero or Blisstool is out other than up to your ankles. The AT Pro and the CTX 3030 are only waterproof to 10-feet in depth, so diving with them is also out. The Tesoro Tiger Shark is a FRESH water machine good to 200' in depth. You can get both the Vaquero (for land) AND the Tiger Shark for about $1,000.00 brand new. Yes, the Vaquero is just as deep or deeper than comparable Whites, Garrett or Fisher machines.

 

[nittany1]

Another fresh water machine to consider is the Fisher 1280x, it's good down to 250', so it would be good for diving with hookah on fresh water lakes. You could do a Fisher 1280x for fresh water hookah diving + Fisher F4 for land coin & jewelry with tone ID, ground balance, notch and target ID for $1078 from a forum sponsor, maybe a little less if you call around to the sponsors and let them know you're from FMD. It's just an alternative to what Terry Soloman suggested. Don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Tesoro, in fact I love Tesoro, but it's nice to have several options.

 

[Jamflicker]

If you could afford the CTX, then I would just get that and save having to spend more money in the future because you want to upgrade.

 

[nittany1]

If you could afford the CTX, then I would just get that and save having to spend more money in the future because you want to upgrade.

Well he said hookah diving which is real diving where there is a gasoline or electrically powered pump and a central airline instead of scuba tanks, the CTX is only good to 10' and it would become an expensive paperweight if you went diving with it.

 

[Longhair]

Well he said hookah diving which is real diving where there is a gasoline or electrically powered pump and a central airline instead of scuba tanks, the CTX is only good to 10' and it would become an expensive paperweight if you went diving with it.

Exactly!
I would recommend two machines dedicated for their tasks.

FWIW, I have a 1280X for diving in freshwater, and it does great. They've been around long enough that good used ones can be had for $300 or less. That would leave you enough for an E-Trac for land hunting, and all for less than the cost of a CTX (which would not serve your purpose).

 

[ScubaDetective]

Yes if your going to use a hookah, I would look at a few machines

Whites BHID
Fisher 1280X Great machine but I like different beeps!
Fisher CZ-20 or 21 (CZ-20 is out of production but available used)
Tesoro Stingray 2 or Tigershark (Stingray2 is out of production but can still be found)
Minelab Excab

I love my CZ's. And I owned a 1280X before I bought one. All these machines would serve you well underwater.

 

[Big Boys Hobbies]

Hi,

I am getting back into the hobby after a few years break. I was considering a CTX 3030 but after checking multiple forums / reviews / you tube etc... I feel more confused on what to purchase.

I will be hunting mainly coins / jewlery and some water hunting with a hookah on fresh water lakes.

Would it be better to get a good water detector and a good land detector? I was thinking the blisstool or vaquero and a sand or tiger shark.

I don't need all the bells and whistles or even the ID display. I really want a good detector that can go deep and has good discrimination.

I know a detector is only as good as the operator, I have the patience to learn a detector and it's capabilitys.

Feel free to give me a ring! Be glad to help you answer all those questions and make you a friendly forum deal!

Thanks! Bart

 

[beepanddig]

Thank you all for the suggestions and information.

I was on a bussiness trip to Florida and I picked up a CTX 3030. I tried several makes / manufactures and settled on the CTX.

Thanks Bart I will be in the market for a deeper water detector and I will be looking for a spare / backup detector for friends and family to use so I will check out Big Boys Hobbies.

I will be in the market for the Blisstool and a Fisher water detector very soon.

Thanks,